Artist of the Keys
by best with breadsticks
Summary: ONESHOT Late one night, Edward has an urge to draw a beautiful picture. Little does he know where the this one slight impulse will lead him.


Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or Peter Pan.

Author's Note: Some more Bella/Edward fluff... Inspired by the songs: _Crayons_ by Adam Hoek and _Stay_ by Safetysuit.

This is written in Edward's point of view, so I attempted to make it as proper and formal as possible because that's how imagine he would write. When I started this I was reading the book _The Awakening_ by Kate Chopin, and since it was written in the 1890's, I tried to write like how the book was written. I can imagine Edward having a very early 1900s feel to his point of view, so yeah... I have no idea if I succeeded, but that was what I was going for.

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Edward Anthony Masen Cullen

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I stared half-blankly at the untouched canvas before me. I'd never been one for drawing -- I usually thought of myself as an artist of the keys rather than an artist of the canvas -- but something about the pure white sheet in front of me was seducing me in with its ability of flaunting its malleable nature.

My unblinking eyes didn't bulge as I scanned over the flat plain, using my enhanced vision to take in every tiny nook and cranny of its uneven surface. The white reminded me of the white of her uncorrupted soul. The soul I so devilishly wanted to destroy.

Her name drifted to as if a whisper of the wind. I listened more closely than I need too. Her name was like the music of my soul, and I wanted to hear every note of it. Every part of her symphony that rang, now and forever, in my mind was a lullaby to my sleepless being. Her words were the lyrics of my heart. Everything I want to say but cannot.

Her name floated through my head at this moment, corroding any thoughts that might have been trying to overtake my mind.

Bella.

Isabella Swan.

A beautiful swan. What a perfect and fitting name.

Images of a stunning bird, resting on the surface of a still water pond, waiting innocently for nothing in particular, came in a flood. I watched the imaginary bird spread its wings and descend into the sky above, where it belonged. Where she belonged. Up in the heavens among the angels.

I closed my eyes to see a fleeting vision of her face. Every inch of her was just out of my reach, but yet, so close. I took in her soft features, her memorizing brown eyes, her porcelain skin, her brunette, flowing hair – I took it all in. I inhaled, breathing in her scent that was still so fresh in my mind.

Her picture was where I found my inspiration for the illustration I was going to draw. It was her. She was the reason I found myself with this strange inkling to apply my attention to creating a picture. I subconsciously wanted a representation of her to keep with me.

And though I know simply taking a photograph with a camera would be far easier, I did not think that would do her any justice. Not that my artistic ability when it comes to drawing would do her any more justice, but I felt she needed me to fabricate her image rather than just sneak a meaningless snapshot.

I lifted the number two pencil sitting closely beside my sheet of paper, and began to sketch out her quiet features. Each stroke of the graphite against untainted white left an ugly gray mark that was to form the stunning image. The irony was uncanny. How something so ambiguous would become something so straightforward.

I smiled, reshaping the picture's face. If this was to be Bella, it must be an absolutely perfect replication of her. Not a line could be out of place.

Imagining her was easy with my memory, but I longed for a live action model standing right in front of me. Maybe I could find one. But really there is only one who could possible model this picture flawlessly, and she was resting peacefully at this moment.

I let my eyes float on over to the open window, revealing the chilling night. The moon hung low in the sky. Stars dotted the navy blue and black backdrop, flaunting the moon's superiority over the evening.

I stood, walking towards the window, allowing the glinting moonlight to encompass my body. If this had been sunlight, I'd be glittering for sure at this moment, but it wasn't. The night couldn't break through our disguise; it could only succumb to our lie. As the rest of the world does…

The inkling that had been, as of lately, tingling at the bottom of my stomach -- as if I could feel something changing in my stone body – began to flare up.

Bella could see through the lie. She wasn't like the light or the rest of the world. Somehow – along with her silent mind – she defied the odds of the mythical world that was stacked up against her.

What a strange, but more than pleasurable situation.

I had a seraph – in all her heavenly grace – wishing to be with me – a demon – forever. An unlikely pair that had sprouted up by complete and total accident. And though nature would try to drive us apart, a greater force seemed to be pressing us together. It was oddly delightful, though I wished it would stop, so she could move on to someone less dangerous than me. It would be better for her – both of us actually – that way.

Perhaps I could go see her tonight. Her brown, half-curly hair and pale skin glowing in the moonlight. What a sight to see; a sight that would make my illustration more realistic. And so in the name of art, I will go to her room and observe her.

Yes, in the name of art. Not that I don't want to go see her, it just makes the whole going into her room at night and watching her in her sleep much less creepy…and possible more legal…

I stood, lifting my paper and pencil, and strolled toward the open window. She would be in a deep sleep at this time. It was the absolute dead of night, nearing two thirty in the morning.

I took a fleeting glance over my room before leaping out into the darkness, allowing it to consume and devour me in its soft, comforting blanket. She wouldn't expect this visit – I was supposed to hunting this particular night -- but it would nice for both of us.

Arriving at her small, white home didn't take very long. A blink of an eye would be an understatement when it comes to the speed at which I plowed through the forest to reach my destination. The partially drawn image and my pencil were tucked safely under my right arm, keeping it out of the way of hidden surprises of the night that would damage it.

The climb up to her window was swift and stealthy. Even if she had somehow known I was coming, she'd never be able to figure out that I was sneaking into her home at this moment.

Upon making my way into the window, I peered up the sleeping form of the angel I stalked.

Yes, I'm pretty sure that what I do would be under the category of stalking. Even if she did approve of the idea.

She was curled up in a ball, her brunette, partially twisted hair spread chaotically across the bedspread. I watched as her hand twitched as if grasping something just out of reach, then suddenly it relaxed. She let out a groaning breath, before flipping over onto her other side. I smirked; it was a delight to watch her consumed in peace.

I continued my descent into the pitch-dark room, moving semi-automatically into the corner where I stood each and every night.

It was then that I checked to make sure that the paper and pencil had survived the journey over here. And, as expected, they were flawlessly perfect.

Bella scrunched her face in disgust. I wondered what she was dreaming of. I always hoped her dreams were wonderful, but I knew they couldn't all be marvelous. The haunting monsters of the daytime would follow her to rest and fill her mind with worry and fear.

She tossed her body over the side the bed by accident as she tried to fight off the invisible fiends threatening her. She hit the hardwood with a clunk; her eyes were now wide and awake staring straight at me.

There was a rush of air that flowed into her mouth, that I could decipher to be a gasp. I reached out for her, trying in vain to comfort her before she began to start a riot in the room. Her mouth clamped shut in an instant as she saw me approaching her. Her smooth, pink lips slowly formed into a delighted smile.

I smirked. "Good morning, Miss. Swan."

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen." She laughed, the smile moving from her lips to her eyes. They lit up like horizon at dawn, beaming with revival of new light upon the lands that it touched. Her being – her heart, her love – was the revival was the dawn of my life; I loved to see it in her eyes.

I attempted to shake the image from my mind of her beautiful eyes, so that I could complete a coherent sentence. Finally, I managed to utter some words in a statement.

"You should be sleeping, love." I walked over to help her back up onto the bed.

"You should be sleeping too, you know…" A strange expression crossed her face. I chuckled at her. "Or at least you should be pretending. If you are going to be a mock human, you've got to get these details down."

She reached up her arm instinctively for me to take a hold of it and lift her to her feet. There was a part of me that worried I would rip her arm by accident when I lifted her up. So to avoid such a tragedy, I ever so slowly and gingerly picked her up in these situations where she insisted I pull her up by one arm.

"My apologizes. I've never been the best actor. They kicked me out of the fine arts club at my school."

Her face scrunched as it did when she slept. "You were in the fine arts club?" She half-laughed. "I could see you playing the piano for them, but _actual_ acting. Edward as Peter Pan…in tights…hmm…I just don't see it." Her smiled brightened.

"I _said_ they kicked me out, didn't I?" She was standing up completely at this point, so – ever so causally – I leaned forward to rest a tender, tiny kiss upon her soft lips.

"Okay, you win." She mumbled from behind my lips. Her eyes followed along the lines of my face to reach my eyes. "So what is the reason behind this visit?"

I released my lips from hers, and relaxed my stone forehead against her satin one. I could feel the slight shiver from beneath the surface of my skin. Her lips quivered lightly like the gentlest wind blowing through a meadow, the flowers bending faintly with each gust of air that pushes through.

"Why do you think I'm here?" I asked with a burning curiosity flooding through me. I was always wondering what she was thinking; perhaps she'd let me inside for once.

"You know, the usual Edward Cullen is in my room stalking me. Nothing out of the ordinary." She shrugged with another eye lighting smile.

"Oh, I see." I picked her up bridal style, letting her gorgeous tendrils sweep over my forearms as she positioned herself with my cradle. I placed her down upon her feathery bed, keeping her safely positioned in its warmth and comfort.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" I brushed my fingers over her eyes, feeling her lengthy eyelashes beneath my skin. Her eyes closed at my touch.

If it were possible for me to blush, I'd be flushed red right now. Pink blotches, like the redness that floods her face when she is embarrassed. It is one of those human characteristics I absolutely adore. It makes her more human to me, more tangible and alive.

"Well, you see I was having a bit of an artistic moment, and I thought I'd draw a beautiful sight." I shuffled around, before handing over the picture I'd been drawing. It was hardly perfect and I hadn't truly wanted her to see it…ever. It would never be worthy of her eyes, but I couldn't deny her.

She took it and turned it in her hands, squishing her face at every angle. She didn't seem to understand what the picture was, or was supposed to be. I chuckled at her confusion, causing her to lose her focus on the picture.

"What?" Her eyes were now gazing into mine. I felt a quiver drift through my body as her stunning brown eyes stole my unnecessary breath. Those eyes, oh how I loved them. If eyes were the windows to the soul, her soul was absolutely pure and innocent.

"Oh, nothing. You're expression is amusing." I leaned over top of her to run my fingers through her satin hair. I could feel her body leaning in towards me; it was a brilliant sensation to behold.

"Well maybe," she began in a soft, quiet tone, "I wouldn't be making this expression, if your picture made more sense. What is it anyway?" She lifted it up and held it out in front of her face.

My hand went instinctively to my nose, pinching the bridge of it between my fingers. It was a nervous/irritated habit I'd brought with me into this life. I could remember vaguely years and years ago my father with his hand pinching his nose while he scolded me, or was trying to think of something.

I decided it was going to be best to just come out and say it. No use in prolonging a simple answer.

"It's you." I rethought my reply swiftly. "Well, my attempt at drawing you."

"Oh, really…" She took a better look at the picture, turning it around. Suddenly her movements halted at a peculiar position. "Wait – I see it now. There's my head…I think. Or maybe it's my foot."

"Where?" I wanted to know exactly where she was looking. Perhaps I could clear up the argument, make things easier on her.

She pointed to the spot on the sketch. "Right here."

I followed her finger to the end, where I found the part of the image that puzzled her. I smirked to myself upon seeing what she thought was a foot or a head. Was my drawing skill really _that_ bad?

"That's your nose." I grasped her forearm and guided her finger around the outline of the drawn nose. About halfway around the outline, I realized why she was unable to identify different parts of her body. Bella's actually nose was petite and lovely, but what I'd drawn was large and lumpy. No wonder she thought it was her foot. I do hope I haven't insulted her.

"Oh," she laughed, setting the portrait down beside her on the bed. "So that's all then. You only came to draw a picture of me?"

"And I wanted to see you, of course." I admitted, leaning in to rest my lips on hers once more. She accepted the offer and responded accordingly.

"Of course." She smiled, pressing her cheek to mine. I inhaled her scent, letting it overtake my senses and consume me. No other aroma in the world could ever compare to this sweet melody. The soothing symphony flowed through me and meshed with my body, creating a new, revived man in its wake. There were many reasons I loved this young woman; this sensation was just one of the many.

In an unexpected impulse, a statement blurted from the lips surprisingly. "Do you want to go stargazing?"

I could feel my face scrunch as soon as the words left my mouth. What in the world was I thinking? This was hardly the sort of thing she should be doing at this early hour.

Bella blinked quickly – obviously taken back in surprise -- before cutting off my thoughts abruptly. "Yes, I'd love to."

She was already completely out of her bed and standing next to her bedroom window by the time I realized what I had asked her to do. I shook my head faintly, throwing away my thoughts of taking back what I said. How could I refuse her now?

"Bella," I called after her, before she got too entirely carried away. She turned about face to look at me. "Remember your coat. It's quite chilly tonight."

She nodded and grabbed a hold of her jacket from its place hanging over her computer desk chair.

Once I was sure the jacket was safely situated on her body, in one fluid motion, I moved her up onto my back. She wrapped her arms around my neck. She pulled herself closer to my body as I leaped from her second story window into the night.

The trees blurred behind us as I plowed my way through the paths I knew by heart. They were the paths that led to where her beating heart and my cold, still heart intertwined and became united as one. I loved these paths, these trees, this forest…our meadow.

I felt her breath hot on the back of my neck; I indulged in its preciousness. The way things have been going with her each breath she took was another gift given to her and should be cherished. That's not to say that one day I wouldn't want her as an equal to me. But not now, not here.

The open area in the forest was fast approaching, so I steadied my pace to a mere brisk stride. Bella must have felt the change in speed, for she pressed her lips to my ear and whispered gently.

"You don't have to slow down on my account. I'm beginning to get used to the feeling. It's actually _invigorating_."

There was a wicked smirk playing on my lips that I let loose. I slowed my pace entirely and walked a few steps into the meadow. The moonlight glittered down upon us both, creating tiny pockets of light in-between the blades of grass. The flowers, erratically placed through out the land, swayed with the light breeze that surged its way over the area.

Bella hopped off of my back. She stretched out her arms before collapsing to the ground and rolling over onto her side so she was facing me. Her pale skin made a perfect contrast to the darkened field beneath her body. Her hair was twisted and tangled in the sprigs of grass. A giggle escaped her lips – she was defiantly tired, she was becoming overly giddy.

I strolled over to her, and knelt down next to her sprawled body. Her laughter was increasing with every step I took. It was moments like these I wished more than anything I could hear her thoughts. What was the joke I was missing?

"You really should get some rest, love." I leaned backward into a more relaxed position, stretching out my legs in front of me.

Bella gave me a strange look, but it transformed into a pout. "But you promised stargazing." She grabbed onto my shirt and pulled me down towards her. I was now lying next to her staring into her milk chocolate eyes.

"That was before I realized how giddy you're getting. You're tired, dear. We can do this another time. I promise." I swept the back of my hand across her cheek. She grabbed it before I finished.

"Please," she begged not only with her spoken word, but also with her longing brown eyes. She really wanted this. I sighed, and kissed her forehead.

"Of course, my love." I spoke finally after a few seconds of silence.

Did she know what a hypnotic power she held over me? Or was her untainted possession of my heart and mind just a random occurrence that left me powerless to stop it?

I shook my head. It didn't matter how it came to be, it just mattered that it was. Bella had a hold over me that kept me sane and gave me meaning and purpose. So no matter the consequence that this relationship would create I was ready and prepared to accept it.

Bella flipped over to look up at the sky above us, my eyes stayed fixed on her. To me she was the sky. Wondrous, colorful and calming.

"The stars are beautiful. Why didn't you draw them? You said you were drawing a _beautiful_ sight, and I'm sure that they would be far more interesting than me." She seemed to be lost in the limitless, dotted sea floating above us. Her eyes would bounce from star to star in lines, until they landed upon the moon, glowing and shining in all its glory.

"Stars are vain. They mock the moon, but in the end fail to compare to its superiority. Hardly worth my time to draw, when I have a goddess here on Earth to look at." I took my eyes off of her and pointed towards the sky while I spoke.

I could see her blushing from the corner of my eye. The traces of pink I adored so much began to flood her cheeks.

"Edward," she began in a hushed tone, and gradually her voice grew. Her eyelids fluttered, closing bit by bit. "I just wanted to say that I lo…" Her voice lost its luster and drifted off into the wind as she started to fall into a restful sleep.

I wrapped my arms around her body, and rubbed her back tenderly. I was my way of letting her know silently that I would be with her rest of the night.

"Goodnight, my beautiful swan."

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Author's Note: Thank you for reading! :D


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